Joshua Baker

Internship Paper

November 20, 2014

Internship Experience and Career Objectives

I am currently a teaching assistant and laboratory aide for the AP Chemistry class at the
Rockdale Magnet School, taught by Ms. Diana Kennen. I accepted the internship I have now
because of its relevance not only to my personal interests and undergraduate major of preference
(Chemistry, B.S.), but also to my desired career path: Pharmacy and Pharmacology.
In terms of subject matter and simulated workspaces, I believe my internship experienced
has at the very least not weakened my commitment to this career path. Pharmacy requires
precision and physical endurance (as one may be standing for up to 12 hours per day), solid
background knowledge in chemistry and molecular biochemistry, interpersonal skills, and the
ability to apply that knowledge to potentially novel situations. While the environment at my
internship may not be quite as rigorous, it has reinforced some of these things. My knowledge of
chemistry (an elastic knowledge, as I have been gathering information during the course of the
semester) has served me well, allowing me to work quickly with little need for frequent
reference. My visual organizational skills have been tested and strengthened whilst working with
the 550+ chemical compounds stored in the back rooms; I am able to more quickly categorize
and store things with even simple systems, a skill that will definitely prove useful in the future.
Though not quite as frequently as I would have liked, I have also had opportunities to help out
other students (and on some occasions, teachers from RMSST and other schools) with customprepared solutions and materials. This part, however brief, is probably among the most similar to
the jobs that many retail pharmacists perform now, and among those that definitely strengthened
my commitment to the path: they organize prescriptions and orders, as well as meet with
customers to help them find solutions to their specific problems. Doing that successfully at my
internship site made for some of the most rewarding occasions in the past few months, and, I

Joshua Baker

Internship Paper

November 20, 2014

believe, the most enjoyable times during my career. Though my time as a chemistry intern lacks
certain aspects a pharmacy intern might have, it has nonetheless prepared me for the basics of
what is to come.

Achievement of Internship Goals

My time as an AP Chemistry intern has definitely allowed me to use my knowledge of
chemistry (gained from that very class the year before, in fact). I have been applying the
knowledge I gained from my studies, as well as that which I have been gradually amassing this
year, to make work easier and more efficient (I tend to have very productive days, on most
occasions). I have even been able to use it alongside a partner in demonstrations (another former
student of Ms. Kennens and I assisted RMSSTs Science Team, led by the same instructor, with
an event called Super Science Saturday, wherein we did numerous chemical demonstrations for
elementary school children to increase their intrigue in STEM fields). In terms of professional
skills, my ability to communicate with my internship site adviser and coworkers has shown some
of the greatest improvement, alongside punctuality, cooperative ability, and interpersonal skills
as a whole. I still intend to pursue a career in pharmacy, but I have realized over the past few
months that I have no qualms with working in a chemistry lab as well (the aforementioned career
path may include some of that anyways, so this internship is useful preparatory work). This
internship, though not an exact mirror of my intended career, has provided me with valuable
experience. I know that, with time and practice, I am able to adjust to and thrive in most
laboratory environments while still being able to work well with others.

Joshua Baker

Internship Paper

November 20, 2014

Internship Experience and Education

The relevant courses that I have taken thus far AP Chemistry and Research I, II, and III
have helped prepare me for my internship experience as a chemistry assistant in many ways.
My familiarity with the subjects that have been covered thus far have allowed me to quickly and
seamlessly adjust to changes in topics (and subsequently, daily tasks), and my knowledge of
chemical interactions helps me to arrange things as they need to be with little doubt of their
accuracy. My experiences with both AP Chemistry and Research have aided me with my
familiarity of glassware and laboratory areas; I am able to retrieve things rapidly, as the
(relatively) clean systems of organization with which I work allow for easy storage and
categorization.
My education still has three major steps remaining before I am able to fully enter into the
career path of pharmacy. First, I plan to complete four years of undergraduate study in
Chemistry, with a potential focus in biochemistry or organic chemistry. Afterwards, I intend to
apply for and attend pharmacy school, where I will study for another six years. After this point, I
need to become a licensed pharmacist in the state I classify as a citizen of at that time (most
likely Tennessee, North Carolina, and/or Georgia). My education does not have to stop there,
however; should I choose to further my expertise in a given field, I may return to school to
receive a masters degree, and eventually a Ph.D. in pharmaceutical sciences and pharmacology.
Should I pursue the maximum amount of time in school, I could be working towards degrees for
anywhere between 15 and 19 years.